The Contenders:
Kevin Murphy Smooth Again Anti-frizz Treatment, $35, vs. Herbal Essences Touchably Smooth Anti Frizz Creme, $5.69

The Breakdown:
When it comes to fighting frizz, sometimes you can't cut corners. High-end Australian brand Kevin Murphy is available only in high-end salons (or if you stumble upon just the right websites) — but it's worth the hunt to get your hands on a bottle of the Smooth Again Anti-frizz cream, whose amazing frizz-smoothing ability, lightweight texture and mesmerizing smell justify the splurge.

Apply both the Kevin Murphy frizz cream and its Herbal Essences alternative to damp hair, and you'll end up with noticeably sleeker strands. The Herbal Essences is a worthwhile product — a little goes a long way, and it seems to stand up to heat styling slightly better than the Kevin Murphy. But the Herbal Essences is heavier in texture and doesn't fight frizz quite like the Kevin Murphy. You also can't beat the Kevin Murphy scent, whose decadent, almost masculine qualities had our entire office smitten.

The Winner:
Kevin Murphy Smooth Again Anti-frizz Treatment

The Contenders:
Pureology Hydrate Cleansing Conditioner, $34, vs. Pantene Pro-V Color Preserve Cleansing Conditioner, $7.99

The Breakdown:
I'm all too familiar with the woes of dry, color-treated hair — so I was excited to get my hands on these cleansing conditioners, which promise to nourish over-dyed strands.

The Pureology left my hair feeling moisturized, but not at all weighed down. I enjoyed its refreshing, minty smell. But I wasn't completely sold on the texture of my hair after it dried. My individual strands are fine, but I have a ton of naturally wavy hair, and it is usually in serious need of moisture. My expectations for supersoft hair were high.

The Pantene was a bit heavier than the Pureology, but surprisingly more moisturizing. It made my hair feel softer (and a bit cleaner) than its high-end competitor. Even though I preferred the Pureology scent, I'll probably reach for the Pantene next wash, considering my particular hair needs. Someone with thinner, straighter hair might prefer the Pureology's lighter texture.

The Winner:
Pantene Pro-V Color Preserve Cleansing Conditioner

The Contenders:
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, $42, vs. Garnier Fructis De-Constructed Texture Tease, $4.29

The Breakdown:
When it comes to texture spray, there's a fine line between tousled and tangled. A bad texturizer will leave hair sticky and knotted — impossible to run your fingers through. But the Garnier Fructis Texture Tease sits firmly on the tousled side. This fruity-scented spritz dries instantly and gives hair an easy, windswept look without any tangles or tackiness. For less than $5, we were pleasantly surprised.

But the Oribe texture spray's reputation precedes itself, and we were giddy (and skeptical) to test it ourselves. The verdict? All rumors were true. After spraying Oribe's lightweight aerosol product on dry hair, you get long-lasting texture, a dose of volume and that distinctively luxe Oribe scent. Basically, it's got everything you could want in a texturizer. True, the product is exactly 10 times the price of its drugstore opponent — and if you're on a budget or new to texturizers, the Garnier does a fine job. But the differences between that and the high-end Oribe are too clear to ignore.

The Winner:
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

The Contenders:
Serge Normant Dream Big Instant Volumizing Spray, $25, vs. Schwarzkopf Essence Ultime Biotin + Volume & Vitality Root Lift Spray, $6.97

The Breakdown:
The luxury Serge Normant and Walmart-exclusive Schwarzkopf volumizers have some of the same differences as the aforementioned texture sprays. The Schwarzkopf is a liquid spritz that can be used on wet or dry hair, depending on how much body you're going for. That makes the product versatile, which is nice, but I'm all for instant results, and ultimately, the Schwarzkopf doesn't give the same instantaneous volume as the Serge Normant.

Like the Oribe texture spray, the Serge is an aerosol product — and sprayed on dry roots, it instantly jeuged my limp, slept-on hair, resulting in a dose of frizz-free volume that stayed put. The spray's texture is dry and lightweight, and the scent rich and musky, which I preferred to the fruity, but slightly chemically smell of the Schwarzkopf.

The Winner:
Serge Normant Dream Big Instant Volumizing Spray

The Contenders:
Kérastase Masque Force Architecte, $62.50, vs.. Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask, $6.29

The Breakdown:
I am a total Kérastase junkie -- their Elixir Ultime changed my hair texture forever — and this decadent, crisply scented hair mask lives up to the brand's usual luxury. After shampooing, I left this in my hair for three minutes, and my strands felt immediately deeply conditioned.

However, the Neutrogena produced almost identical results. I used it the same way as the Kérastase, and noticed the same instant silkiness. The scent is subtle, not quite as special as the Kérastase, but with hair masks, it's all about the texture and the outcome. With this Neutrogena mask, you get both for a tenth of the price.

The Winner:
Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask